Gourmet: The Master Chef Just Wants to Leisurely Set Up a Stall - Chapter 52

“Are you Miss Zhao? The old man told me to wait for you. I’ll take you inside.”

Zhao Xiaojing quickly pushed her cart and followed along.

Once inside the courtyard, she noticed how spacious it was, with several connected houses, neatly arranged flowers, and a clean, well-maintained garden. The entire place exuded an air of elegance and simplicity.

After parking the cart, Aunt Niu, the housekeeper, led Zhao Xiaojing toward the central house, whose door promptly opened.

“Jingjing! You’re here!

Old man, Jingjing’s here! Come on out!” Madam Fan’s loud voice called out as she hurried toward them, turning back to shout at Wen Zhiyi, who was busy inspecting his new fishing rod inside.

“Good evening, Grandma! Sorry I’m a bit late.” Zhao Xiaojing began taking out the fried food from the display case while Aunt Niu helped carry the milk and fruit.

“Not late at all! You had work, right? Oh my, why did you bring so much stuff? I told you to just come over for fun—no need to be so polite!” Madam Fan affectionately linked arms with Zhao Xiaojing, leading her inside while nagging.

“Grandma, it’s not much. I made some fried food myself to bring over since I know you like it.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! You know, I’ve been craving your skewers.” Madam Fan beamed even more when she heard that Zhao Xiaojing brought her homemade fried dishes.

“Young lady, you’re here!” Grandpa Wen also came out to greet her, waving happily.

“Grandpa!” Zhao Xiaojing smiled warmly.

“Come in, come in, have a seat.”

Upon entering the house, Zhao Xiaojing noticed a beautiful young woman sitting on the sofa.

“This is my eldest granddaughter, Yunyun—Yulan’s daughter. She’s home for summer vacation.

Yunyun, this is Jingjing. Your mom knows her. She’s a year or two younger than you.”

“Nice to meet you, Jingjing.” Yunyun greeted politely.

“Hello, Sister Yunyun.”

Madam Fan affectionately led Zhao Xiaojing to the large sofa, while Wen Zhiyi sat nearby in a single chair.

Aunt Niu quickly brought tea, snacks, and fruit.

“Why are you bringing out all these formalities? Treat this like your own home—don’t waste money on unnecessary things!”

Grandpa Wen playfully scolded Zhao Xiaojing after seeing the bags she brought in.

“Grandpa, it’s nothing expensive. Most of it is food I fried myself—just a little something for you both.”

“Oh, you made it yourself? That’s fine! Haha, your grandma’s been dreaming about your fried food—drooling in her sleep,” Grandpa Wen teased his wife.

“Wow, are you the famous skewer chef?” Yunyun exclaimed from the side.

“Yes, she’s the one I told you about,” Grandpa Wen chuckled.

“Sister, can I try some now?” Yunyun’s cool demeanor softened as her eyes sparkled at the sight of Zhao Xiaojing’s bag.

“Let me refry these for you. They’re only partially fried and need a second fry before eating—it’ll be quick. Grandpa, Grandma, where’s the kitchen?” Zhao Xiaojing stood up.

“Oh no, you’re a guest! How can we let you cook? Aunt Niu can handle it! Aunt Niu!” Madam Fan stood up, trying to stop her.

“It’s no trouble, Grandma. I’ll go with Aunt Niu to show her how it’s done. That way, you can easily reheat it later whenever you want.”

“Grandma, I’ll go too!” Before Madam Fan could respond, Yunyun jumped up and grabbed Zhao Xiaojing’s arm.

“Silly girl! How can you make our guest cook for you?”

“It’s really fine, Grandpa. I’m happy if you like my cooking.”

With that, Zhao Xiaojing and Yunyun followed Aunt Niu to the kitchen while the elderly couple stayed behind.

Soon, the three returned, each carrying a plate to set on the large coffee table in the living room.

The plates held freshly fried crispy pork bites, fried tenderloin, and chopped fried duck legs.

“It’s getting late, so I didn’t fry much. The rest is in the fridge—you can reheat it later when you’re hungry.”

While Zhao Xiaojing explained to the elderly couple, Yunyun had already popped a piece of crispy pork into her mouth, and Madam Fan eagerly picked up her chopsticks.

“Eat up, eat up! Jingjing, have some too,” Grandpa Wen couldn’t resist the aroma any longer and urged everyone to dig in.

“Jingjing, this is amazing! You’re like the queen of fried foods—no wonder Grandma dreams about it every night!” Yunyun exclaimed after sampling one of each dish, her admiration clear.

The slightly sweet and crispy duck leg skin, tender juicy tenderloin, and savory chewy crispy pork—all left everyone wanting more!

Yunyun savored each bite and quickly snapped photos of the dishes, posting them in the family WeChat group called “I Love My Wen Family.”

The first person to see the post was Wen Zhiyi’s third son, Wen Jin, who had the group chat pinned.

“Yunyun, don’t eat too much fried food! You’re still a young girl—don’t end up as chubby as your mom!” Wen Jin jokingly replied.

Curious, he clicked on the pictures and immediately noticed the golden crispy pork dusted with chili powder.

“Yunyun, where’d you get this? That crispy pork looks legit.”

Zooming in, he recognized his parents’ familiar TV cabinet in the background.

Clicking on the next picture confirmed it—his parents’ slippers were visible in the shot.

Wen Jin frowned and opened the group’s video call feature. Sure enough, he saw his parents, Yunyun, and a young woman sitting in the living room, all enjoying fried food.

His temper flared. He was about to voice his anger but restrained himself when he remembered there was a guest present.

Closing the camera feed, Wen Jin stewed in frustration.

He had been fuming for days after seeing a photo of Madam Fan eating fried duck leg on a tree stump, which Grandpa Wen had sent him previously.

That day, he angrily called home, ranting about health risks and hygiene. At first, Madam Fan tried placating him with excuses like “It’s just a little,” or “The girl is very clean.”

But after he kept lecturing her non-stop, Madam Fan lost patience, accusing him of making a fuss over nothing and souring the mood.

Wen Jin had felt personally attacked and hung up, venting to his sister Wen Yulan. But as usual, Wen Yulan played peacemaker, soothing him without actually addressing the issue with their parents.

Enraged, Wen Jin cut contact with both of them for a while.

Only recently had he begun speaking to them again after Madam Fan and Wen Yulan repeatedly apologized. He thought they had finally learned their lesson—until today.

Seeing his parents indulging in junk food again infuriated him. He furiously typed a long diatribe into the group chat:

“Mom, Dad, why are you making the same mistake again? How many times have I told you those foods contain carcinogens? You have no idea how they’re made—that oil is probably gutter oil! You’re older now—what if something happens to you? Who will us three siblings turn to?

People say having elderly parents is like having treasure. Other families’ elders set examples for their children. Why do you insist on worrying us every day?

Is junk food really more important than living longer with us? If you…”

Wen Jin continued typing message after message, growing angrier with each one.